


Unlikely Trio

by Snakeofthe80s



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Anxiety Attacks, Bisexual Character, Depression, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Grief/Mourning, Loss of Parent(s), M/M, Masturbation, Mental Health Issues, Multi, Non-Canon Relationship, Panic Attacks, Polyamory, Threesome - F/M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-08
Updated: 2020-03-07
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:27:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23060920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snakeofthe80s/pseuds/Snakeofthe80s
Summary: James and Severus find themselves working to get over their animosity to help Lily when she needs them the most. In the end they discover far more about themselves than they ever imagined.
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, James Potter/Severus Snape, Lily Evans Potter/Severus Snape
Comments: 3
Kudos: 36





	Unlikely Trio

Sweat beaded Lily’s forehead as she tried to read the numbers on her paper. Her tongue grew dry and the numbers seemed to almost dance on the page. The ticking of the clock in the front of the room and scratches of quill on parchment were the only noises emitting from the classroom. The silence was almost deafening as her throat became dry. She choked as her breathing became more intense. Her chest tightened and she gripped at it above her breasts. The collar of her robes seemed suddenly tight at her neck. She yanked at it slightly and her breathing grew heavier. She realized she couldn’t seem to breathe. It was as if she’d missed a step on the stairs and nearly tripped, but the intensity of the feeling stuck with her. Lily’s stomach squeezed and a small twinge of nausea rose within her. She shut her eyes for a moment, afraid that she may pass out or have a heart attack or maybe even throw up. Lily opened her eyes and glanced around the room towards the doors. She had an intense desire to just run, run far away. 

Severus was seated at the table adjacent to Lily and her sudden movements nearby caught his eye. The students around her didn’t seem to notice. She appeared to be breathing heavily as if she was struggling to catch her breathe. Fellow Slytherin Dubion was reading the textbook so he watched her. She leaned back in her chair and grabbed at her chest, which was heaving wildly. She gripped the table and appeared to be almost shaking. Something was wrong with her. 

“What are you looking at?” Dubion asked. 

“Something’s wrong with Lily Evans.” 

He turned and scoffed, “So?” 

Severus glared at him. He hesitated a moment and then forced himself to whisper to her. “Lily?” She turned to him in surprise. Severus was the last person she expected to be talking to her. “Are you okay?” Though he tried to talk quietly, others around them stopped and turned at the slight noise in the room. 

She gazed back and forth, and heat rose in her face as several eyes bore down on her. Without much thought besides the desire to get away, she leapt up from her chair and then bolted from the room.

“Lily, where are you going?” Professor Eigen asked, “Lily, is she okay? Severus, can you go check on her? If she’s in the bathroom, you can come get Sally to check on her.” 

Severus shook his head in surprise but nodded and left the room. He saw Lily holding her chest and rocking as she clung to the windowsill. 

“Are you okay, Lily?” 

She shook her head, not even caring about the fact that they had not spoken to each other since last spring. “I think I’m having a heart attack.” 

“What?” His eyes grew wide. 

“I think I’m-I’m going to faint. I can’t breathe.” 

He swallowed. “Lily, Lily, take some deep breaths, you’re breathing so heavy.” 

“I can’t breathe!” She began to pace, gripping her chest. 

He raised his forehead slightly. “Okay, should you go see a nurse? Do you need to go to the infirmary?” 

“I don’t-I don’t know. Why-why are you out here?” She gasped. 

“Just breathe. I think you are okay. And Professor Eigen sent me. She wanted to make sure you are okay. Just take some deep breaths through your nose.” He stepped closer to her. 

She did as he said, took a deep breath in her nose, held it a couple seconds and slowly breathed back out. 

“I feel like-I think I’m dying-something, I don’t know what’s wrong-I dunno what-what’s wrong with me?”

He stood beside of her, unsure how to approach the situation. “Relax. I truly don’t think you’re going to die or have a heart attack. Do you need to go outside, get some fresh air maybe?” 

She stood up and began to pace the floor. “I dunno, I just can’t-can’t breathe,” 

“I’m not sure what’s wrong, but I doubt you are dying. Just take some more deep breaths.” He put a hand on her shoulder. She didn’t yank it away. 

“How can-can I-take breaths. I can’t even-breathe.” She tugged at the collar of her robes and groaned slightly. 

“Maybe you need some fresh air.” He gestured down the hallway towards the courtyard. “Come on. It may help.” 

She hesitated a moment but followed him. Her legs wobbled a little as her entire body trembled with each heavy breath she took. When they went outside, the cold December air pressed against her face and caused her to take in a deep breath. 

Severus watched her pace back and forth as she struggled to catch her breath. Despite the frigid air, she fanned her face wildly. He folded his arms tight across his chest to brace himself against the bone-chilling wind. “I think a cold front is coming in. It might snow.” 

She paused, “What?” 

“Snow.” He cleared his throat. “It feels like it might snow.” 

“I don’t-I don’t know.” She continued to stare at the ground as paced. 

“Trying to take your mind off whatever is bothering you.” 

She shook her head. “Nothing is-is bothering me. Just-Just can’t catch my-my breath.” 

He huffed, “Well, you really should try and take some more deep breaths. It can’t be good to breathe so heavily. I imagine it will only make it worse.” 

Lily continued to pace and ran her hand through her hair. She held it so tight he wondered if she was about to yank out some locks. 

“It almost sounds like you are having a panic attack.” 

Lily stopped abruptly. “What?” 

“A panic attack. It looks like you are having an anxiety attack.” 

She shook her head and huffed, “I don’t-I don’t panic.” 

He shrugged, “It’s not a big deal. Can you just try and take some deep breaths? It honestly might help. Just slowly breathe in, hold your breath a moment and slowly breathe out. I know you don’t like me, but can you just trust me on this?” 

She sighed and took a couple deep breaths as he said and slowly the tightness in her chest began to ease while her breathing began to grow more controlled. After a couple minutes more, her body seemed to ease. Her chest muscles seemed to loosen back, and her internal quaking became a slight flutter. The knots in her stomach calmed and made her nausea cease. 

“I think I’m okay now. I don’t know what happened.” She cleared her throat. “I’m going to go back in in a moment. You go ahead.” 

“Are you sure?” 

“Yeah, I’m fine now. Thanks.” 

He slowly walked back into the classroom, watching her the entire time. When he entered, everyone looked up. “She’s okay, just a mild reaction or something.” He told Eigen to ease her concerned expression and hopefully not have everyone bombard Lily when she re-entered the room. 

Lily sat down on a bench outside and closed her eyes. What the hell had happened? Had she just had an anxiety attack like Severus said? No way. She did not panic. She never panicked. She always had things under control. However, the recent loss of her mother and her father not doing so well had her reeling. In addition, with Petunia’s new relationship with the muggle Vernon, who loathed her as much as Petunia, and the pressure of classes and the war she had been feeling really overwhelmed lately. 

After another minute, she finally forced herself to get up from the bench and go back inside. She knew she would have to face the class she ran out of at some point and her ears were starting to hurt and hands and face had begun to sting from the bitterly cold wind. 

Lily inched herself into the classroom, the eyes on her like daggers as she leisurely walked to her seat. No one spoke and she did not respond to the silence as she turned the page in her arithmancy book and dipped her quill in ink. As everyone else started to look back at their parchments, she let out a heavy sigh and out of the corner of her eye she could see Severus’s gaze upon her.


End file.
